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<title>The Cut by Kartaylir</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22535983">The Cut</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kartaylir/pseuds/Kartaylir'>Kartaylir</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Traitor Baru Cormorant - Seth Dickinson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Double Drabble, F/F, Femslash February, Femslash February 2020, Missing Scene, Spoilers for The Monster Baru Cormorant, Wound kissing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 13:15:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>200</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22535983</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kartaylir/pseuds/Kartaylir</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tain Shir makes a third choice during a moment Baru will not remember.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Baru Cormorant/Tain Shir</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Cut</h2></a>
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    <p>The machete dips toward her left side and into the void there, out of Baru’s view. She does not see as it strikes, nor feels what the blade has done.</p>
<p>She sees Tain Shir hold Baru’s hand up in  own, see the bleeding stumps of fingers as Tain Shir presses them onto her lips. Blood is perfect there; brilliant red for the Bane of Wives. </p>
<p>Someone screams; the noise echoes through the cavern, through the dead and dying. </p>
<p>“Did you think the teacher to obey the rules of the student?” Tain Shir says, distant. Idly curious as any predator. “Your choice will come again. You will burn her memory for power.”</p>
<p>Baru feels as if her head has been wrapped in cloth, every sound muffled. Again she has fallen into planning as if people were mere columns of numbers for her use.</p>
<p>She opens her mouth and tastes her wound upon it. Tain Shir’s lips are cold against hers. No affection there, perhaps not even the bitterness of hatred. Death with certainty beneath it.</p>
<p>Then Tain Shir’s grip tightens over that wounded hand. The wound gushes to stain fingers as it has marked her lips.</p>
<p>Baru’s eyes close. She forgets.</p>
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